My rant for the day

[Gregor 4,847]

I go to the local farm/home store to get some small springs for a project I have been working on. The store has a section I will call the "Hillman" section. There is a large variety of small hardware items from rubber corks to stainless steel fine thread bolts, and everything in between. When you buy these items, you write down on a small piece of paper, the item #, and take it to the cashier, and they punch in the #, and all is good. Most of the time. I got 3 springs, some bushings, set screws, and assorted "stuff". I wrote down each item on it's own piece of paper.

400628..........item #

set screw...........description

.45 X 6..............   price times quanity

I did this for each item. When it came to the springs, the # was not in their system. I went back and checked the #. Took a pic of the container with all the info. Went back to the cashier. Nope. Not in the system. In the end, I could not buy the springs. I had to leave the store without them, because the kid could not ring them up. This store has recently changed ownership, and this has happened before.  Isn't technology wonderful? I sent an email to the home office, but I doubt seriously if I ever hear anything back. Unfortunately, it's the only game in town.

That's my rant for the day. Unless I have to go back to the store.

Edited January 30, 2021 by Gregor

[ebinmaine 71,230]

I've worked in direct contact customer service for 30 years, this year. 

Different types of employment. Different types of customer bases in those fields. 

 

I have.     NEVER. EVER.   Told a customer they can't buy something I HAD FOR SALE !!!!!!!!!

 

That is just ludicrous to the point of absolute. 

 

There's these things... Phones. 

Employees can:

Call the manager. 

Call the owner. 

Call the Who cares who I'm calling just give me 3 bucks and I'll FRIGGIN figure it out later. 

 

That is complete utter outright invariably not acceptable. 

 

 

"ONLY" 3 dollars.....?

Nope. It's the principle. 

 

Open a business to make money. Yes. 

But to do so you become THE customer support specialist. 

 

1. Safety. 

2. Service. 

3. Everything else including profit will show up....

 

 

I'd be all over that like flies on 💩💩. 

 

AAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

 

 

 

Excuse me now whilst I "Exit.... Stage left, evennn....."

 

 

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 27,810]

Never heard such nonsense... 

 

Started working in a local party  store at age 10. Sorting returnable bottles and taking out the trash.  Worked there all the way through college. Owner taught me a lot about customer service.

 

Back when we would put take your returnable bottles out and your pop and beer in your trunk for you at the curb... free...

 

If a customer said they had a broken bottle in their case of Beer, etc. when they got home, we were instructed to give them a six pack for free with an apology. I can still hear him saying: “If one customer is happy with your service, one customer will know about it. If one customer is not happy with your service, 100 people (not customers) will know about it...”

 

 

[ebinmaine 71,230]

18 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

customer

Back in the 90s I worked for Parts America by Western Auto for a couple years. 

 

Their research showed on average a VERY happy customer was roughly 50% likely to tell ONE person. 

An unhappy customer was roughly (95-99?%) likely to tell between 8 and 12 people. 

 

 

 

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

An unhappy customer was roughly (95-99?%) likely to tell between 8 and 12 people. 

 

With the interwebs these days that ratio is MUCH different!  Probably more like 1 : 10,000 ! Or more...

 

I was unhappy when I returned a wrong item to the auto part store I do a lot of business with and didn't get the full amount of what I paid because I used their 'Speed Perks' reward coupon on the purchase.  It was five bucks.

 

"We can't give you back more than you paid!" I was told.

 

"I get that, but I earned that coupon by spending money in your store!  I should get that back too!"

 

"No, we don't do that."

 

So when I got home a quick on line chat got my coupon back in about 30 seconds.  They could, and should have done that on the spot.

 

On top of that, the manager of the store was a total b1tc4.  Always has been.  She must be a very unhappy person.  I avoid her every time I go to that store

 

How many people did I just tell?

[953 nut 58,486]

2 hours ago, Gregor said:

the # was not in their system. I went back and checked the #. Took a pic of the container with all the info. Went back to the cashier. Nope. Not in the system. In the end, I could not buy the springs. I had to leave the store without them, because the kid could not ring them up.

I had similar situation at ACE Hardware several years ago with a much better outcome. When the store went from being an independent hardware to ACE they had some old inventory on the shelf that wasn't in the system. I picked up a couple of shoulder bolts which didn't have part numbers or price on them. Cashier asked me what I figured they were worth, I said a couple bucks each and that was what he rang up.

[squonk 42,905]

We have a Valu-Home Center 7 miles away. Like the store. Nice variety. Way too many kids working in the store though. I've only seen 2 adults. 1 is in the paint dept. Nice guy. Other guy is a jack wagon who is a school facilities guy for his "normal job" ( I hated dealing with him. He was so lazy, if a AHU on a roof needed a belt, he would call us instead of taking 15 out of his day to do it himself) Any way I go there for the "Hillman section. I get all kinds of stuff. A have paper and pen and write all the part #'s down. I wait in line as 4 kids are off to the side doing something (they aren't on the register) Finally I hand the kid all my stuff with the paper. He says, "you didn't write down the prices!" 'We don't use the part #'s" Nice kid but DANG! 

 

Funny I go to the Value Home in Buffalo where my son lives and all adults in the store and more registers open! 

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

I went to a local hardware store, "Becker Hardware" in Colt's Neck, NJ.  Family owned for generations.  I needed a single grommet.  I left the house without my cash.  I told Danny l was sorry that I had to use my plastic for the 2 dollar purchase.  "Don't worry about it, pay for it next time you come in". Of course I did!

 

THAT was awful nice of him!

[squonk 42,905]

14 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

With the interwebs these days that ratio is MUCH different!  Probably more like 1 : 10,000 ! Or more...

 

I was unhappy when I returned a wrong item to the auto part store I do a lot of business with and didn't get the full amount of what I paid because I used their 'Speed Perks' reward coupon on the purchase.  It was five bucks.

 

"We can't give you back more than you paid!" I was told.

 

"I get that, but I earned that coupon by spending money in your store!  I should get that back too!"

 

"No, we don't do that."

 

So when I got home a quick on line chat got my coupon back in about 30 seconds.  They could, and should have done that on the spot.

 

On top of that, the manager of the store was a total b1tc4.  Always has been.  She must be a very unhappy person.  I avoid her every time I go to that store

 

How many people did I just tell?

Now that aint right. If you had a receipt you should get back what you paid on it, 

 

The only issue I ever ran into was while was at Napa were people wanting core refunds on parts bought at another store. Most stores are independently owned. The store buys the parts from the wharehouse and sells them to you.  So say the store buys a starter and pays $100 for it. They are charged a core on it of say $25. They sell it to you for $150 and charge you a core of $35.00. You install it and throw the old starter into the ashtray. Next week you're driving thru my town and say "Hey there's a Napa, gotta return this thing so I can get my roach clip out of the tray." You bring it in with your receipt but I'm only going to give you $25. Why should I lose $10 while the other owner makes an extra $10? That was the policy. I used to fudge it if you spent the difference in the core charges but sometimes things aren't as cut and dry as it seems.

Edited January 30, 2021 by squonk

[peter lena 9,136]

GREGOR, I  can relate to your small drawer section part issue , my experience is that the manager of the floor has to have an interest in what going on .  (   WHAT A CONCEPT )  the better set ups have a catalog look up book , like a phone book  so you can verify everything they sell. they also regularly have a supplier go over everything and add to or find out with customer feed back what needs improvement. pete

[WHNJ701 4,165]

You going about it all wrong, you need to go line where the cashier is the nice old lady and turn on the charm, wink wink.

Edited January 30, 2021 by jabelman

[squonk 42,905]

10 minutes ago, jabelman said:

You going about it all wrong, you need to go line where the cashier is the nice old lady and turn on the charm, wink wink.

That works awesome in school kitchens! 

[Gregor 4,847]

55 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

I went to a local hardware store, "Becker Hardware" in Colt's Neck, NJ.  Family owned for generations.  I needed a single grommet.  I left the house without my cash.  I told Danny l was sorry that I had to use my plastic for the 2 dollar purchase.  "Don't worry about it, pay for it next time you come in". Of course I did!

 

THAT was awful nice of him!

That's how this store was originally, locally owned. Then he died. Now it's a mess.

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

1 hour ago, Gregor said:

That's how this store was originally, locally owned. Then he died. Now it's a mess.

 

I think Becker's is on the fourth generation of family owned and it appears they're raising the fifth gen now.

 

I remember going to the original store in Red Bank, NJ with my Dad maybe 1958 or so.  He said, "Don't touch that piece of glass!" that was waiting for a customer to pick up.  Do you think I listened?  NO, and I cut my finger!  I believe that finger cut injected the 'hardware gene' into my blood and started me on a lifelong journey.  Seriously!  That was the start of it all.

[Ed Kennell 40,857]

              

 

 

                               I hate shopping             But I can spend hours looking thru the Hillman trays for hardware I "might " be able to use some day.

 

            A lot of young people are  working here now..........but I just realized anyone under 75 is young.              Rick runs a tight ship and his customers are always right.

 

                                                                     ACE is definitely my place to shop.

 

 

[CCW 1,355]

When I moved into town 35 years ago there were three hardware stores all within a couple of miles.  Now only two within 200 feet of each other.

 

Well at one I purchased a rake and it broke as soon as I began using it.  Took it back and owner replace it with no questions asked.

Other store nickled and dimed me about an item.  Guess where I've been shopping at ever since. 

 

I will buy from them before I even think about going to Home D even if it cost me more.  

[Handy Don 13,477]

Something I discovered last summer is that department heads at the "HD" have significant authority over their domains. I've made it my business to get to know the managers of the tool areas in two stores I'm in regularly--one is a sharp, relatively recent college grad and the other has more years in the game--both know their business well. It has helped me to learn a bit of their business model (by asking questions and listening to answers) and help me negotiate politely for accommodations I thought appropriate. So far, so good.

As mentioned, the managers who do well modeling and teaching good service are boosting business. But it is also true that some customers' expectations are that they are entitled to both cut-to-the-bone prices and superb service. Sorry, that is no longer possible in small scale operations where the markup on, say, a lawnmower or snowblower used to cover some losses on small hardware items.

[WHNJ701 4,165]

The 2 local hardware stores by me have miserable cranky old guys behind the counter, it's more of the local last resort

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,360]

What burns my butt, no matter where I shop. You get to the register and the kid who pushes the buttons and can't figure out  change in their head ; is talking and I respond only to find out they , he , her is talking on their cell phone. How rude and why are them they he she allowed to be on the phone while working!

[Mikey the Monkey 700]

35 minutes ago, jabelman said:

The 2 local hardware stores by me have miserable cranky old guys behind the counter, it's more of the local last resort

Seems like a bunch of cranky old men here....

[Gregor 4,847]

I owned and operated my own business for 15 years. I could have as many as 400 people come through the door on any given day. I knew most of them by their first name. 95% of those people were decent, honest people. The other 5% you could not make happy, regardless of what you did. It just wasn't in their nature. It got to the point where the 5%, were more than I could take. I found myself being rude to the other 95% at times, for trivial things.  I figured it was time to go. I sold it 20 years ago. I have never missed it.

[Handy Don 13,477]

5 minutes ago, Gregor said:

The other 5% you could not make happy, regardless of what you did.

And those 5% have no idea how their behavior compares to others. They live in a bubble of righteousness.  

[ebinmaine 71,230]

19 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

And those 5% have no idea how their behavior compares to others. They live in a bubble of righteousness.  

Or hatred. Or depression. Or constant negativity.  Etc. Etc. 

 

Been there. Lived it. Escaped it. 

 

28 minutes ago, Gregor said:

I owned and operated my own business for 15 years. I could have as many as 400 people come through the door on any given day. I knew most of them by their first name. 95% of those people were decent, honest people. The other 5% you could not make happy, regardless of what you did. It just wasn't in their nature. It got to the point where the 5%, were more than I could take. I found myself being rude to the other 95% at times, for trivial things.  I figured it was time to go. I sold it 20 years ago. I have never missed it.

 

That's the reason why I don't own my own business or want to be in ANY management position for another. 

 

I've tried it. The stresses that others attempt to place on you just aren't worth it. 

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 27,810]

9 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Or hatred. Or depression. Or constant negativity.  Etc. Etc. 

 

Been there. Lived it. Escaped it. 

 

 

That's the reason why I don't own my own business or want to be in ANY management position for another. 

 

I've tried it. The stresses that others attempt to place on you just aren't worth it. 

 

 

 

 

[Gregor 4,847]

 

The stresses that others attempt to place on you just aren't worth it. 

 

And all for $1.50 more per hour !    But of course you don't get paid overtime.